Hargeisa Bypass Road
The case for the construction of the bypass is as follows:
- Period
- 2020 to 2023 (Construction complete)
- Countries
- Somalia
- Implementing partners
- Government of Somaliland, Ministry of Transport and Roads Development
- Participants
- Governments of Somaliland & Ethiopia; the business community, especially the transport operators; and the entire populace covered by the road infrastructure.
Project rationale
- Decongestion of Hargeisa city
- Allow faster movement of humanitarian aid trucks e.g WFP trucks are normally held at Halaya check point during the day and only released at night.
- As a critical link to the Berbera Port; decongesting the bypass builds a business case for the Port and will have an indirect impact on foreign direct investments, job creation, other income and business opportunities, logistics and financial services.
- Contributing to the growth and development of Somaliland through generation of revenue that is critical for financing government, provision of social and other development programmes.
The UK partnered with TMA to deliver a Prosperity Fund Project in the Horn of Africa, seeking to unlock inclusive trade and economic potential through transport infrastructure, trade efficiency and local economic development. The aim was increased trade capacity, better competitiveness and more opportunities. The Berbera corridor has high potential as a transit goods port to Addis, especially with the Berbera port also being modernised with a massive investment from the Government and private sector partners, including Dubai Ports World and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. Under this partnership, the UK’s Prosperity Fund provided financing for the 22.5 km Hargeisa Bypass. Hargeisa is easily the corridor’s main chokepoint. Every import and export consignment threaded through its crowded streets, with minor interruptions causing long delays that led to higher vehicle-operating costs, safety risks, and avoidable urban pollution.
By diverting heavy traffic around the city, the Hargeisa bypass has:
- Cut door-to-door journey times and logistics costs for traders moving goods between Berbera and Ethiopia’s 120 million-strong market.
- Freed up Hargeisa’s urban space for safer local traffic, cleaner air, and efficient municipal services.
- Unlocked local economic opportunities, from roadside service hubs and warehousing to new jobs in construction, maintenance, and supply chains.
- Boosted competitiveness for producers and transporters on both sides of the border by creating a continuous, all-weather, high-quality road.
Implementation strategy
The project is funded by the UK and delivered by TMA in partnership with the Government of Somaliland (GoSL), represented by the Ministry of Transport and Roads Development. Delivery partners included civil works by COCC–GCI through a joint venture, design and supervision by Kagga & Partners, and oversight by TMA’s infrastructure team working alongside a GoSL Project Implementation Unit. A baseline traffic study established current volumes and projected socio- economic benefits, providing a yardstick for measuring impact once the bypass was complete. Because the bypass forms part of the wider Berbera Corridor upgrade, TMA and GoSL coordinated closely with the Abu Dhabi Fund team working on the adjoining section, to keep construction seamless end-to-end. Regular consultations with local residents and authorities ensured buy-in, minimised disruption, and created opportunities for on-the-job training, ensuring the knowledge to maintain the road stays in Somaliland.
Emerging Results
Transit times along the Berbera Corridor have reduced by 38%, thanks in part to the Hargeisa Bypass, which was completed in 2023 with funding from the UK (Endline Berbera Corridor Study, August 2023).
